The Sacramento Kings are hoping to head in a better direction under new general manager Scott Perry after taking steps backwards the past two seasons. Perry’s new tenure began in earnest this week by selecting two players in the NBA draft and adding two undrafted free agents late Thursday.
The early reviews suggest the Kings found potential steals in wing player Nique Clifford and big man Maxime Raynaud. After the draft on Thursday, they agreed to deals with another big in Dylan Cardwell and Spanish player Isaac Nogués González, who spent last season in the G League.
“One of the most important things that I wanted to get accomplished this year is to establish an identity of what it means to be a Sacramento Kings basketball player,” Perry said this week. “Things that are important that we’re going to value here: competitive, tough, team oriented, accountable, disciplined and professional.”
Perry could make more significant changes when free agency officially begins next Monday. He’s charged with turning around a roster that failed to make it out of the play-in tournament the last two seasons after breaking the team’s 16-year playoff drought in 2023. Perry was officially hired April 21, days after the team lost in the first game of the play-in to the Dallas Mavericks.
Here’s a glance at the newest additions Perry made to the Kings roster.
Nique Clifford, guard/forward, Colorado State
Age: 23
Size: 6-5, 202 pounds
Clifford spent five years in college — three at Colorado and two at Colorado State — and is viewed as one of the most pro-ready prospects in the draft. The Kings traded with the champion Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 24 pick to take Clifford, who projects to provide versatility, defense and spot-up shooting, which the Kings have lacked at the back end of their rotation in recent seasons.
“He was a guy that we really targeted, that we had a really good grade on,” Perry said. “So we feel like we were fortunate to get there and get him. He’s a very versatile as a player. He’s a two-way player. ... He’s improved each and every year throughout his career.”
Speaking to his versatility, Clifford as a fifth-year senior led Colorado state in points (18.9), rebounds (9.6), assists (4.4) and steals (1.2) this past season. He led the No. 12 seed Rams to an upset win over No. 5 seed Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. That came after averaging 25 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while he helped the Rams win the Mountain West tournament, earning MVP honors.
Clifford was the oldest prospect taken in Round 1. He joins Sacramento six months younger than Keegan Murray, who was drafted fourth overall in 2022 at age 21. It may have been a reason why Clifford was available in the back end of the first round while the first eight players selected were 19 or younger.
“I know we live in a world now where a lot of the players that are selected high in the draft are usually one-and-dones,” Perry said, “But for me, getting a guy like this who’s ready, both mentally and physically to maybe step on the basketball court this comings season, I think is important.”
The Kings began the first round without a pick in the draft after conveying the No. 13 pick to the Atlanta Hawks to satisfy the Kevin Huerter trade from the summer of 2022. The Hawks traded the pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for pick No. 23 and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, which is widely considered a lopsided trade favoring Atlanta.
To take Clifford, the Kings traded the 2027 first-round pick they received from the San Antonio Spurs in the De’Aaron Fox trade this February. That pick is protected 1-16 and would convert into two second-round picks in that 2027 draft if San Antonio’s pick falls in the Top 16.
Maxime Raynaud, center, Stanford
Age: 22
Size: 7-0, 237 pounds
Raynaud won’t have to go far to play for his new team after playing in college at Palo Alto. The native of France could help the Kings create a five-out look which has become in vogue throughout the league. Raynaud averaged 5.5 attempts from 3-point range as a senior and made a respectable 34.7% throughout his Cardinal career.
Raynaud was considered by many as a first-round prospect given his well-rounded offensive game for his size but he slid to pick No. 42 in the draft amid questions about his foot speed to defend at an NBA level. The 22-year-old is a late bloomer and didn’t begin playing basketball until he was 17. He didn’t earn regular minutes at Stanford until his sophomore season.
Finishing last season in the NIT, Raynaud averaged 22 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in two games. He had 25 double-doubles over his 35 games, while averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.
Raynaud joins a team behind veteran centers Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas, and will likely require some development before cracking the rotation.
Dylan Cardwell, center, Auburn
Age: 23
Size: 6-11, 255 pounds
Cardwell reportedly signed a two-way contract with the Kings, meaning he has a chance to spend the year between Sacramento and G-League Stockton. And like Clifford and Raynaud, Caldwell is an older prospect having spent five years in college.
Cardwell is known for his athleticism and defense, making him unique to the centers already on the roster. He didn’t become a regular starter for the Tigers until this past season when he averaged 5.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over 20.3 minutes per game.
Cardwell shot 70.9% from the floor over his five seasons, proving to be a good finisher around the rim. But his 45% free-throw rate indicates there’s some work to do with his offensive touch.
Isaac Nogués González, guard/forward, Spain/Rip City Remix
Age: 21
Size: 6-5, 189 pounds
Nogués is considered a defense-first player after averaging 2.7 points while shooting 27% from 3 over 25 games last season in the G League for the Portland Trailblazers’ affiliate. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento which will give him a chance to earn a two-way contract after spending time with the Kings’ Summer League team and G League Stockton.
The native of Badalona, Spain, played for the Joventut Badalona youth developmental team and helped Spain’s under-19 team win the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Hungary. He averaged 2.0 steals and 5.2 rebounds per game last season for the Remix.